It's been two years since Audi built the final R8, and although the company has approved production of a new performance vehicle, the fully electric Concept C won't be a true replacement when it arrives next year. Looking further ahead, a proper successor could still happen, but only under certain circumstances.
Audi Sport's managing director spoke with Australian magazine Go Auto about how the stars would need to align for the R8 to return one day. For starters, another flagship performance model would have to be a plug-in hybrid to comply with increasingly strict emissions regulations. He explained that developing a new combustion engine from scratch to meet those rules isn't feasible given the low-volume nature of supercars.
View Price on AmazonWhile the idea of an electrified R8 might upset purists accustomed to having a naturally aspirated V8 or V10 behind the seats, Michl claims people are becoming more open to hybrid supercars. His thinking is that you still get the thrills of an ICE powertrain while gaining the added benefits of EVs, such as a purely electric driving mode. Audi Sport has already dipped its toes into the performance plug-in hybrid niche with the recently revealed RS5.
Powertrain choice aside, another R8 would also have to sustain itself financially: 'In really challenging times – and we’ve talked about regulations, and very cost-intensive developments – every car has to be a business case. It wouldn’t make sense just to calculate, let me say, a brand-levering effect … you really have to see that intense spending has a valid chance to realize the specific earnings.'
Reading between the lines, it’s unrealistic to expect Audi to go it alone if it were to bring back the R8 one day. A safer bet would be another collaboration with Lamborghini, much like during the Gallardo and Huracan eras.
Source: motor1.com
